Notes / Commercial Description:
The primary component of our "White Oak" ale is a 100% barrel aged wheat wine that we affectionately refer to as "White Oak Sap." Essentially a "summer" barley-wine style ale, but made with a wheat heavy grain base, White Oak Sap is aged in used bourbon barrels for nearly a year and comes out rich in flavors of coconut, honey, caramel and vanilla. To compliment the already rich flavors of the beer, we've added cacao nibs and vanilla beans to give this beer the delicate flavor of white chocolate...hence the name.

Pours a cloudy golden orange with a small white head. Nose is full of rich vanilla and chocolate. Very sweet with plenty of bourbon, oak, caramel, and toast. The vanilla and chocolate notes are the stars of the beer on the palate as well. Plenty of bourbon/oak flavors with a subtle toasted maltiness. Just a hint of spice and yeast in the background.

Finally picked up my allocations to try this beer! Pours a slightly hazy, golden orange color with a small white head. Scent is...WOW! I remember reading reviews of this beer when it was first released, and someone said it didn't have a good nose on it. I respectfully disagree with that. The nose is like a delicious desert. I get some definite white chocolate...even a little bit of a cheesecake aroma. Sweet, boozy vanilla aromas with some lovely bourbon. A good amount of vanilla with a hint of orange. Taste is not a dessert-ish as the nose. It is definitely still a sipper and rich like a desert, but the wheatwine characteristics kick in, making it not so rich. Still has some boozy bourbon and vanilla flavors, but also has some orange citrus flavors. Some light maple syrup flavors with a sharp, cloying sweetness almost on the back of the palate. Very tasty beer. Mouthfeel is perfect for this style, as it is not overly carbonated and not too full-bodied. Drinkability is fairly high for what this is. Overall, there is no way in hell I could drink a whole bottle of this, as it is far too rich and sweet for one sitting. However, when shared amongst friends, this beer is brilliant.

Glowing light golden pour with a thin bone white head resting on top. Specks of lacing dot the glass while drinking.

Like a boozy dessert in a glass - assorted scents of birthday cake, vanilla, bourbon, oak, caramel, coconut and syrup. Sweet and warm.

Booze-soaked white chocolate right up front, punctuated by a variety of decadent, warm, sweet flavors. Drizzled in honey and syrup, the vanilla beans combine with oak and bourbon for continuing warmth. Birthday cake, vanilla icing, caramel and a thick wheat backbone. Full flavored, for sure, wildly sweet, but incredibly flavorful throughout.

Full bodied, milder carbonation, creamy, sticky and soft on the tongue. Similar to what others have said, this beer is wildly expressive and flavorful, although insanely sweet and rich. We split a bottle between 4 people and finished every drop.

Grabbed a couple growlers at a Bruery tap takeover at Bierkraft last year. Just getting around to posting the review now:

A - Looks almost like tokaji, a foggy light taupe with very little head

S - Vanilla and cake batter. A little cinnamon and brown sugar spice from the barrel but none of the smoke. Exceptionally smooth, desserty nose with just a hint of banana and cherry.

T - Lots of toffee, vanilla and something akin to a honey-bran muffin. Some milky (or perhaps even ... white) chocolate, banana, and a hint of lemon peel. Zero bitterness, or any hop presence. Comparable to Utopias in that regard. It does approximate white chocolate, but I'd compare it more to the creme in a cherry cordial.

O - One of the tastier Bruery offerings and the best wheatwine I've had (but let's be clear: I've only had a handful of wheatwines). Glad I split this up in tasters of about 9 oz. Anything more than that would have put me to sleep.

Opened a white chocolate bottled on 11/2015, poured into a tulip glass.
Look: A little lighter than I expected, poured a dark amber color, with no head.
Smell: Initially I noticed a slight smell of caramel mixed with alcohol, followed by brown sugar and vanilla.
Taste: At first I tasted a sweet boozy flavor, followed by the taste of oak, finishing with a very pleasant combination of vanilla and chocolate with an enjoyable alcoholic burn. As the beer warmed, the flavor of chocolate became more prominent.
Feel: Medium to full bodied, vinous and smooth
Overall: A sweet and somewhat boozy beer with a pleasant combination of vanilla and chocolate notes. I'm looking forward to seeing how this one will age over the years.

Yes, it's infected. But then, so is every wild ale. I appreciate the Bruery's courteous recall policy, but sending back every beer that brushes up against aggressive bacteria would rob a beer geek of serendipitous experiences. As is the case with 2013 White Chocolate.

The nose reveals obvious tart aspects, but strong notes of vanilla and oak quickly layer the aromas. There's a spun-sugar note all over the bouquet that carries on the palate, bouncing nicely off the oak and booze. Distinct notes of vanilla and cocoa throughout, while a touch of bittering hops balance things toward the finish.

Compared to the 2012 batch this is obviously not what the brewers intended, but there's no reason to send this back. I've had a lot of intentionally soured that were far harder to drink than this.

Appearance: Hazy amber color with a modest white head that dissipated fairly quickly.

Smell: The vanilla notes present themselves first with the bourbon from the bal-aging closely following. Faint chocolate notes come in behind the vanilla and bourbon.

Taste: The vanilla and bourbon from the nose carries over to the taste. The barrel influences are well integrated. The beer is very clean tasting and has a crisp finish. I also pick up some mild spiciness. The bal-aged Bruery beers I've had all hide the alcohol well but this has to be at the top or right near it at concealing the alcohol. No way would I have pegged this at 14+% ABV. The beer finishes with a dry, spicy, vanilla note.

Mouth-feel: Medium body with a fair level of carbonation.

Overall: A high ABV beer that has a great tasting, crisp, summer beer feel to it. Be careful as this drinks like a beer with half the alcohol it actually has.

Normally, I'm not one to reach for the white chocolate (my preference lying with the dark or peanut butter-filled), but who am I to turn down some barrel-aged wheatwine goodness? This stuff pours a hazy auburn topped by a half-finger or so of off-white foam. The nose comprises sweet bourbon, light candied orange peel, vanilla bean, buttercream, light oak, and a twinge of booze. The taste brings in more of the same, the orange coming through a bit stronger, though tempered a bit by the booze. Still, the sweetness is what reigns supreme here, but not in a Southern Tier Creme Brulee sort of way: more restrained due to the overt cooperation of its constituent parts. Basically, the complexity of the sweetness plays off of itself, rather than having it serve to o'erwash all else as in the aforementioned New York-based stout. The body is a hefty medium, with a rather light moderate carbonation and a nearly chewy feel. Overall, a very nice wheatwine, one that somehow did not overdo things with the barrel and the additives, despite how easily it certainly could have. Good times.

A: Poured into a snifter to a deep orange topped by a finger of dense white head that fades to a small collar around the edge of the glass with some lacing.
S: Smells of vanilla beans with a slight chocolate and coconut notes along with some hints of oak and bourbon. Very nice nose
T: Taste is light chocolate and vanilla with some oak and slight caramel sweetness. This is a very sweet beer on the palate. The swallow on this one is some oak with more vanilla and white chocolate flavors with a little coconut on the back end. Slightly boozy but hidden behind all the sweetness.
M: Thick and silky on the palate with soft but adequate carbonation and a dry finish from the ABV.
O: Overall a very sweet and decadent beer. This one is most definitely not infected and tastes great. Pretty high ABV at 16.6 but it carries itself well. Definitely one to try.

Somewhat murky dark cream and light amber in color with a very small off-white head. There's not a lot of visible carbonation, but some. This leaves the glass oily and spotted with stick. Not a particularly attractive beer, and surprisingly light in color.

The flavor isn't quite as impactful, though lovely amounts of vanilla, bourbon, wood, white chocolate, and waffle cone combine quite nicely. Moderate bitterness, and the alcohol is hidden exceptionally well considering the beast this beer actually is. Impressive and flavorful, though not as complex as Black Tuesday, Melange 3, and Fruet, to name a few recent Bruery world-beaters.

75cl bottle from 2012, shared by Doug on 15 August. Poured into an unlabeled snifter.

Pours a thinnish-looking orange, straw coloured body. Not much head or lacing to be found here. Still, the colour throws me off because of the name White Chocolate, but I have to remember that this is not called that name for the looks.

Now the smell on this thing is amazing and unique. It smells like white chocolate fondue. It really does. So much vanilla, milk chocolate and some sugar in there with a splash of bourbon heat. I can't get over how much this beer smells like actual white chocolate. So awesome.

The taste isn't quite as white chocolatey as the smell, but it does follow quite a bit. Lots of vanilla, some bourbon, and some toffee and caramel with oak. The malt backbone on this beer is relatively small for the adjuncts that I taste here.. it's tasty in an unique way, runs rather hot like a typical Bruery beer.

Mouthfeel is a bit disappointingly thin. OK carbonation, not as much as I think this beer would need. Aftertaste is an interesting mixture of bourbon and milk chocolate sweetness.. gets a bit cloying as it warms up. Alcohol heat is actually decently strong at the beginning and it only gets stronger as it warms up.

The smell is the best thing about this beer. It's probably one of the best smelling beers I've ever had. The rest of the beer holds up rather well, but is nowhere near as awesome as the smell is. Worth trying at least once, but as with other Bruery beers, it's just not something I want to drink on a regular basis. Thanks again for sharing this one, Doug!

Appearance - pours a mildly hazy golden yellow and, surprisingly, has a very nice amount of carbonation which gave rise to a one finger head. Given the ABV I did not anticipate the beer to be so....lively?

Smell - honestly, this may be the best beer I have ever smelled. The aroma was as strong and pungent every time I took a whiff. Huge chocolate and vanilla notes, which combined with the oak toastyness from the barrel is beyond words, giving the beer a wonderful sugary marshmallow bouquet. Fantastic.

Taste - this is liquid dessert. Sweet notes of vanilla and bourbon followed with the chocolate is decadent. Big, powerful flavors in this sipper.

Mouthfeel - very decently carbonated, fairly smooth, and a little on the heavy side, definitely a little bit of heat in this one also. As this ages in it will turn into something magical.

Overall - share this one...like with 4 or more people. I split this bottle and it was a bit too much for me, it is very sweet and pretty heavy. This is dessert, have a slice of cake rather then the whole thing...

My bottle was the 2015 version that came in at 16.6%. I didn't find it to boozy at all. Very rich and decadent, but fairly easy to drink. It was like a light barleywine if that was a thing.

Smells kind of odd. I have heard people mention beef jerky. I can see that a little. Almost like a teriyaki aroma. I think it is just the combination of some dark fruits along with maybe some coconut and charred smell from the barreling.

It actually tastes like white chcolate quite a bit. Very sweet with some cocoa hidden in there. I think it taste like cookie dough and marshmallows too. Also some distinct bourbon notes of wood and vanilla.

Taste was much the same. This was a truly decadent beer! However, I don't know how often I could have something like this without getting sick. It tastes strong (which it most certainly is), and it's almost sickly sweet (though maybe that's because I was eating white chocolate alongside it!).

Mouthfeel was very pleasant. Moderate carbonation. It feels heavy in the mouth, but not like syrup, which is what I was thinking it would be like.

Overall a fantastic product. I would strongly recommend pairing this with white chocolate desserts. However, any more than the 4 or 5 ounces I had would probably result in me feeling quite ill.

Nose starts great, plenty of bourbon out front, nice sweet smelling aromas, light toffee caramel, buttery oak, vanilla galore, some white chocolate buried which comes out a lot more as it opens, as well as a bit of cocoa reminds me of Easter as a kid. There is a bit of coconut initially that is not great, but that fades to nothing fairly quickly. Great sweet smelling fruits too, white raisin, brown sugar covered dates, and just a bit of clean booze. Very nice.

Taste starts oaky, then quickly into fruits, light coconut again that disappears quickly to the white raisin, candied dates, etc. Then vanilla, which some comes from the oak barrel and some from the vanilla beans but not as big as the nose. Bourbon is much lighter than I expected. Booze starts lighter then turns up a couple notches as it sits on my tongue, warming tingly booze that even burns the throat a bit. Chocolate comes in later more towards the finish but is light and present early, more of a chocolate covered raisins at first, then some white choc after but not a ton. The booze cuts in quite a bit and starts to become unpleasant but after a few sips it mellows and starts to tickle my gums just a bit. Malts are there too, some caramel, toffee, sweet syrupy reddish malts. Finish is long sticky syrupy mouth coating, lingering booze, hot booze, long lingering white choc, dark candied fruits, vanilla galore, etc.

Mouth is quite thick, syrupy, decent carb, lots of hot tingly booze.

Overall mixed, the nose is great, the taste starts great but seems to fade the more it opens and especially as the booze really kicks in. Quite a nice beer if the booze didn't really kick in, and I wish some of the great aromas like bourbon and vanilla were more present on the flavor. Curious how this will age, could be great as the booze mellows and the flavors merge, or could be bad as all the great characteristics fade out.

App- Along the lines of most standard wheatwines. Slight golden, slightly yellow with really no head to it. It was a bit of a liquid butter look to it. No cling in the glass and just sat in the glass. I dont know if a bottle will be more carbonated.

Smell- It's a very nice smelling beer. It was very unique as are most wheatwines with regards to the style of having the wheat in the malt combined and very booze forward. You get all the barrel in the nose of this one as well as a lot of the vanilla. It really shares its specialness with the aroma of CR due to the special cacoa beans.

Taste- I thought it was very good. Some might not like the fact its a wheatwine and a lot of flavors are competing with eachother for supremacy in the glass. The wheated malt opens this up with the barrel and oak coming next. The vanilla pairs well throughout. The little cocoa nib I got lent itself to a balanced bitter on the finish.

Mouth- From the appearance I could tell the feel would be off. Its bodied for me, with a small light medium body with a lower/medium carbonation. Bubbles needed to be up a little more for me to carry the lightness of the vanilla through more. Good residual booze and oak though.

Drink- I thought it was fantastic. So sad I am not an RS member to land a bottle or 2 to sit on. Will try to get one though. Oh yes it will be mine!!!

S: Huge vanilla and cocoa powder aroma, lots of oak as well...fairly subdued booze (I was expecting more of a beast!) but still plenty of bourbon, whiskey, even vinous notes. Tangy & bready wheat component in there as well. Sweet and intense.

T: Really follows the nose, the burn is quite manageable and cuts the sugary sweet base of this beer quite a bit. Big vanilla finish give the impression of extra-sugary white chocolate. Oak, bourbon, and wheat...still a bit vinous with a good amount of whiskey/bourbon character. Warming finish, for sure.

MF: Creamy and smooth, this still feels like its a touch short of full-bodied...maybe thats the alcohol cutting into it some? Lower carbonation, as expected, turns this into a slow sipper.

O: Pretty awesome; this is my first wheatwine and I doubt it'll get much better than this. BIG, sugary sweet beer; LOTS of vanilla, oak, white chocolate, and bourbon here. Split this bottle several ways, and take your time ;)

L - Pours an amber body with a fizzy less than half finger head. No lacing or retention.

S - What's that, oh booze! Huge whiff of cocoa nibs and bourbon at the front followed by oak and vanilla. At the very back end, there is a teeny tiny acidic sharpness. Aside from the sharpness, the beer is really well balanced on the nose.

A orange amber with plenty of sediment being moved around by a few slow bubbles, finger of soapy foam fizzes out quickly and leaves no lace, about what I expect considering the strength, long legs included

S smells strong of vanilla, soft caramel, and coco, the bourbon barrel comes out nicely with a little booze but well concealed all things considered, I wasn't expecting the chocolate in a beer this light in color, it might be in my head but it kinda smells like white chocolate, nose is strong and amazing

T a little citrus and cereal I wasn't smelling and everything else is toned down but the booze is a little stronger and a fair amount of wood

M its thick and syrupy but could use a few bubbles, a little heat but well managed, slightly numbing on the lips with some woody bourbon lingering

O smell alone bumps this one up a notch, I could smell this one all day but it didn't quite follow through in other areas, solid stuff don't get me wrong but the nose was by far the best thing going

the booze will get ya for sure, smells amazing and lacks nowhere, age worthy for sure and something I'd like to revisit years from now